The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has recognized a business aircraft operations standard issued by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) as an official standard for bizav operations in Europe. The move will enable the standard, known as the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) to be used as an acceptable implementation basis for EASA’s bizav new operating rules, now in development.
Private contractors currently make up 57% of the Pentagon’s total force in Afghanistan, according to an August report by the Congressional Research Service—and more could be on their way. The new head of coalition forces in Afghanistan, Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has recently floated the idea of bringing home as many as 14,000 U.S. military support personnel in favor of sending in the same number of combat troops into theater. In turn, most support duties in Afghanistan, including base security, would fall to private contractors.
Germany has begun the first foreign operational deployment of its Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft with the type deployed for the Baltic air policing task at the start of September. The German air force took over from the Czech air force to fulfil the NATO mission to provide air policing for the Baltic states. The German deployment at Siauliai air base in Lithuania will be split between the Eurofighter and the F-4F The NATO commitment has now been extended at least until the end of 2014, with the Baltic states hoping this will extend at 2018, if not beyond.
Starting today with a clean sheet of paper—amid irregular wars and an increasingly global economy—the U.S. likely would craft export controls quite different from those in place. Forged in an era of superpower confrontation, today’s controls jealously guard U.S. technology and keep allies at arm’s length, while putting U.S. manufacturers in a competitive straitjacket.
Northrop Grumman and Boeing are being considered for work on the U.S. Air Force’s $950-million MC-12W Project Liberty program to modify 37 Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 and 350ERs with full-motion video and signal intelligence payloads. L-3 Communications is modifying the aircraft at its facilities in Waco and Greenville, Tex., and ATK is providing additional capacity. To expedite dispatch to the field, senior Air Force officials are considering a fourth modification site. Six MC-12Ws are in Iraq and one is being used for training in Mississippi.
Mitre and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are very different companies, but they share one important attribute. Both are providing the workplace challenges, flexibility, diversity and career opportunities that aerospace and defense employees say are most important when looking at career options.
Philippe Bruggisser has been named CEO and Scott Plumb chief commercial officer of London-based VistaJet . Bruggisser was vice chairman of Miami-based Centurion Cargo and chief operating officer of Swissair. Plumb was vice president-North American sales for Gulfstream Aerospace. John W. Boo has become a non-executive director. He is CEO of Comprendium. Honors and Elections
A new contract proposed for air traffic controllers would cost the FAA an additional $669 million over its three-year duration, according to congressional sources. Both the FAA and National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. (Natca) have been coy about details of the new contract, to take effect Jan. 1, even though senior lawmakers have been briefed. Most of the extra cost is loaded into second and third years.
An agreement by eight U.S. carriers to buy up to 1.5 million gal. annually of synthetic diesel fuel for their ground service equipment provides Rentech Inc. with an opening for a bigger prize—building a refinery dedicated to synthetic alternatives to Jet A kerosene.
Irkut Corp. has completed delivery of all of Malaysia’s Su-30MKM aircraft, with the last two of 18 being handed over last week, according to company President Oleg Demchenko. Meanwhile, the last six of Algeria’s order for 28 Su‑30MKA aircraft are due to be delivered next month. Demchenko also says Irkut has yet to decide what to do with the 18 Su-30s it is re-acquiring from India as part of the Su-30MKI program. The last two were due to be delivered to the Indian air force last week, he says.
MISSION: STS-128 International Space Station (ISS) assembly flight 17A, the 128th launch of the space shuttle program and the 30th to the ISS. ORBITER: Discovery (OV-103), making its 37th spaceflight. It most recently returned from orbit on Mar. 28.
With more defense budget battles looming, President Barack Obama renews a threat. “If Congress sends me a defense bill loaded with a bunch of pork, I will veto it,” Obama tells the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Phoenix Aug. 17. “Cut the waste. Save taxpayer dollars. Support the troops. That’s what we should be doing.” His “waste” would include the F136 alternative engine for the Joint Strike Fighter, and the new VH-71 presidential helicopter. “Among its other capabilities, it would let me cook a meal while under nuclear attack,” Obama quipped.
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to complete flight testing of long-delayed Antonov An-70 turboprop military transport aircraft. The once-collaborative effort has been delayed by political tensions between the two countries. The Russian air force’s transport aircraft priorities, however, have been focused on further developments of the Ilyushin Il-76.
Boeing is running through power-on sequencing of 747-8 systems after moving the first aircraft, RC501, into the slant position on the final assembly line overnight between Aug. 13 and 14. Power-on is a series of tasks that methodically energize and activate the aircraft’s systems. Boeing also plans to test the rigging for the door of the ram air turbine (RAT) this week. The RAT is a drop-down system designed to provide back-up electrical power and is making its first appearance on any 747.
Arianespace’s fourth launch of the year is planned for Aug. 21, for Japan’s JCSAT-12 and Australia’s Optus D3. Archrival International Launch Services completed its fourth mission of the year during the night of Aug. 11-12, orbiting AsiaSat 5 for Hong-Kong-based Asia Satellite Communications.
When Aviation Week launched its 13th annual Workforce Study earlier this year, we were not entirely sure what the data would reveal. The study reflects trends across about 80% of the U.S. aerospace and defense industry. Keep in mind, thought leaders have been warning for years about an impending silent crisis: an irreplaceable loss of the knowledge, experience and wisdom that underpin the industry, or in plain English, a brain drain.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is preparing two Northrop Grumman Space Tracking and Surveillance Satellites for launch in September. The satellites, designed under the former Space-Based Infrared System-Low plan, will fly in tandem in low Earth orbit to provide precise targeting data on ballistic missiles in the midcourse of flight. Targeting in this phase is not available now. In-orbit checkout will likely take about 45 days, with 2-3 months for early sensor testing. The first test using STSS as a dedicated sensor is set for the second quarter of Fiscal 2010.
Marc Parent, who has been executive vice president/chief operating officer of Montreal-based CAE , has been named to succeed Robert E. Brown as president/CEO when he retires Sept. 30. Brown will be an adviser until the end of 2009.
Employment at U.S. scheduled passenger airlines continued its 12-month slide in June, when carriers employed 6.3% fewer workers than last June, according to the Transportation Dept.’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (see p. 44). All seven network airlines saw decreases in full-time equivalent (FTE) levels (two part-time employees equal one FTE). Those carriers employ 260,808 FTEs, which is 67.2% of the passenger airline total, followed by low-cost carriers at 16.5% and regionals at 14.6%. United Airlines’ levels were down the most, 12.4%, since last June.
I am an engineer . . . one of those folks who designed computers so that to turn them off you have to click on “start.” And I am concerned about the impact current trends will have on my profession. We are told that we are entering the “Knowledge Age.” Well, if that is the case, those of us in aerospace should form the welcoming committee. We have been there since Orville Wright traded in his bicycle.
The Brazilian air force has turned to Vector Helicopter Services of Toronto to service its fleet of Bell H-1H helicopters under a five-year, $15-million contract. Vector is to provide in-country support for airframe inspections, repairs and logistics at various Brazilian military facilities. Included are dynamic component repairs and overhauls of transmissions, gearboxes and hydraulics, all of which will be carried out by Vector’s facility in Andalusia, Ala.
H. Chester Schickling (see photo) has become vice president-business development for WestWind Technologies , Huntsville, Ala. He held a similar position with AAI Acquisition, Englewood, Colo.
In “Winds of Change” (AW&ST June 22, p. 42), former ALPA President and new FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt expresses his goal that fatigue-related regulations will be rewritten to be “. . . realistically based on today’s airline operating conditions.” This is a long overdue step, given the frequent involvement of fatigue in accidents. However, this fresh breeze will stir all trees in the forest. While welcoming new duty and flight-time guidelines, crews will have to acknowledge the other elephant in the room.
Even though the commercial and business aviation downturn has led to personnel cuts in Europe, the aerospace industry’s need to replenish its pool of skilled workers remains intact.
While the Russian air force may only have 12 Yakovlev Yak-130s on order, the goal is to acquire 100, says Maj. Gen Oleg Barmin, the head of air force procurement. The aircraft has completed state testing for the trainer role, and should complete the combat trainer requirement in October. The first series production aircraft was on display during MAKS 2009, and the second is expected to be flown this month. The air force is due to take delivery of four aircraft by October, with the first nine of 16 on order by Algeria to be delivered by year-end.
